


Bethany Learns Their Secrets

by xxMad_Donaxx



Series: Soul Mates [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Demisexual!Carver, Demisexuality, Frustrated!Anders, M/M, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 09:02:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14445885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxMad_Donaxx/pseuds/xxMad_Donaxx
Summary: Things are awkward between Carver and Anders. Bethany talks to both of them and learns a few things.





	Bethany Learns Their Secrets

Since the day of the graduation party being around Carver was an exercise in restraint. He always had a sense of where Carver was and it was maddening when he couldn’t be in the same room and just stand next to him. Anders wanted a lot of things but as long as Carver kept that girl between them he did nothing.

To a certain extent he understood his soul mate’s standoffishness. Even though both of them had known, creating the bond that day had been impulsive. His girlfriend had already been a part of Carver’s life and Anders had thrown a wrench into the works. What he didn’t understand was why Carver was involved with her in the first place. For the last three years Anders had turned down many potential love interests because he hoped for the soul bond to happen despite his fears and Carver’s age.

Learning how to deal with his low-key pining was proving difficult. Avoiding Carver didn’t work like it had before. Besides the fact he was certain that he could pinpoint the young man among thousands of people packed into the concert venue at the Kirkwall Events Complex, there were the dreams. They didn’t happen every night but often enough that he’d bought a large body pillow he could wrap himself around and not feel foolish if the dreams woke him in an embarrassing state. Just seeing Carver helped keep the risqué dreams far apart.

He never actually had to seek his soul mate out however as Carver seemed to be seeking him out. No one had summer classes and Anders’ job schedule was more regular than it was when he did have classes to attend. Previous to bonding with him Carver had never once stepped inside the coffee shop he worked at. Now it was a semi regular occurrence. As nice as it was to see Carver without any family present there was little in the way of conversation when he showed up alone and none when the girlfriend was with him. It was part of his job to be nice but the best he could manage with her was a frosty sort of politeness.

Anders looked at the clock hanging over the door to the back room and sighed. It was almost time to clock out and the Carver compass in his head told him he had decided to accompany Bethany to the store. The monthly meeting for mages in their district started in an hour and a half. He’d been going to these meetings with Bethany since their father died. Over the years they’d gone from just the meeting to dinner before-hand and sometimes ice cream afterwards. Not once in those years had Carver accompanied his twin until the day they bonded.

He took off his apron and wadded it into a ball as he stepped out of the employee entrance at the side of the building. Bethany waved from the driver’s seat of Leandra’s sedan and he waved back. Carver leaned against the hood, his hands stuffed into the pocket of his jeans. He stood straight and their eyes met. Anders faltered and almost fell when he stepped off the curb. In that brief moment Carver looked almost as miserable as Anders felt.

“You okay?” Carver called out. He had closed half the distance between them and only looked mildly concerned now.

“Fine,” said Anders as he forced himself to smile. “Just… a little clumsy today I guess.” He stopped in front of his young soul mate and resisted the urge to get even closer. “Going to join us for dinner today?”

“Yeah,” he replied softly. “Mother needs the car. Garrett…” Carver trailed off and leaned forward slightly. Anders bit his bottom lip and leaned a little too.

Screeching tires and a car horn from the street to his right drew their immediate attention and broke whatever had been about to happen. Anders felt like tearing his hair out after puncturing tires with ice shards. The distance between them had grown again and Anders couldn’t force a smile this time. He gripped the apron tightly and walked rigidly to the passenger door of the car. He flopped into the seat and slammed the door.

Bethany looked at him, questions clear in her expression. Anders groaned softly and turned towards the window. Behind him the rear door shut. He reached up for the seatbelt hoping Carver was going to be questioned harder than he was going to be, he felt a hand on his arm. It wasn’t anywhere near what he wanted but that small acknowledgment was enough to lower his frustration levels. Anders patted his hand briefly and pulled the seatbelt across his body to latch it. Bethany pulled out of the parking lot without a single question.

Dinner began with a little awkwardness. Thankfully Carver sat next to his sister. Anders wasn’t sure he could handle being next to him at the moment and not touch him. As it was their feet bumped several times and Anders wasn’t entirely sure that Carver wasn’t doing it on purpose. Bethany started the conversation with plans for the summer. She kept it away from him and Carver but Anders knew those questions were coming before the night was over.

By the time Carver dropped them off at the meeting hall he knew Bethany planned to enjoy the summer before her first college semester in the fall. Carver had no plans beyond his summer job and trying to find a major before the fall semester. Anders was also very tense. It must have been visible somehow because he was getting a slightly concerned look from Carver. He forced a smile and twiddled his fingers. Carver scowled back for a moment then pulled away from the curb. Anders glared at the back of his head then turned around to find Bethany, her arms crossed underneath her bosom, frowning with one eyebrow raised.

“Spill it,” she commanded. “Both of you have been acting weird.”

Anders snorted and sat heavily on one of the benches that lined the concrete walk to the entryway. He held his hair away from his neck and stared intently at the concrete between his feet. “Look.”

He could hear the tapping of her shoes coming closer and then a surprised little gasp. “You have a soul mark!” she whispered.

“It’s Carver,” he said bitterly. “I’ve known since you both were fifteen.”

“Anders, why haven’t you said anything?” she asked in confusion.

“I was twenty-two Beth,” Anders said sitting up to look at her. “And he was _very_ unavailable.” He sighed heavily and stood up. “I didn’t mean to do it. It just… sort of happened.”

“You mean…”

“Yes. We bonded the day of your graduation party. I’ve been miserable ever since.”

“It’s Laura isn’t it.”

“Please don’t talk about her. I’m irritated enough.” Anders paced across the walkway and back trying to calm himself. “No it’s not just her. It’s Carver. He’s just as miserable as I am and he barely acknowledges me.” He flopped back down onto the bench and growled in irritation as he ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s not like I don’t understand what a huge change this is. He knew though. _He knew!_ And still…”

He clamped his mouth shut, unsure if he wanted yell or wail. Bethany sat down next to him and rubbed across his shoulders. When he felt more in control of himself Anders sat up straight and gave her a wan smile.

“Please don’t tell Garrett or your mother anything about this. Not until Carver decides what he wants,” Anders said softly.

Bethany nodded and pulled him into a hug. “Come on,” she said softly. “Garrett can treat us to sundaes after.”

Anders chuckled and let her pull him up. “If anyone can get him to buy ice cream it’s you.”

She grinned and tugged on his hand to get him moving.

*

Carver was sprawled across his bed from one corner to the other. On his back, he held his phone above him. He needed to reply to her but he’d been staring at the message for a good ten minutes. Right now he didn’t even see the phone. His attention was inward on the sense of Anders that was always there now. With mixed feelings he felt his soul mate getting further away. Carver tossed his phone to the bed and sighed.

He stared at the textured ceiling of his room and waited, wishing he knew what to tell his sister. For years he’d known Anders was the mate to his soul mark. Carver hadn’t known how to feel about that at fifteen and he still didn’t at eighteen. He’d learned how to ignore the burning when Anders was near but this he couldn’t ignore. It was almost a compulsion to always be near him. His thoughts were interrupted by Bethany standing in the doorway, arms crossed under her bosom and a very mother-like expression of disapproval on her face. Carver scowled as he sat up.

“It’s not as great as everyone else makes it out to be,” he said defensively.

“Maybe it would be if you’d just talk to him about it,” she replied coolly.

“He talks all the time so why do I have to start it?”

Bethany smacked his shoulder and sat next to him. “Because he isn’t the one with a girlfriend. Besides that, I think it bothers him that you’re so much younger than he is.”

“If it bothered him that much then why’d he do it?” Carver snarled softly.

“I don’t know Carver,” she said angrily. “I don’t have a soul mark. Maybe you should ask him. Or maybe you could stop being so… _whiney_ and accept this gift few people get!”

“You haven’t known for three years who you’re going to be stuck with. Someone else decided for me Beth. I don’t even know if I’m attracted to him!”

“What? He’s your soul mate. How could you not be attracted to him?”

“That’s…” Carver grimaced and stood. He looked down the hallway in both directions and shut his door. Leaning back on it he turned back towards his twin and took a deep breath. “I do find him attractive but… I’m not… sexually attracted to him. Or anyone else.” She looked completely dumbfounded and he snorted as he turned around to rest his forehead against the door. “I think I’m broken.”

“You’re not,” Bethany said quietly after a very long pause. “I’m sure Anders will understand but you need to talk to him.”

“I want to,” Carver said miserably.

“Then why haven’t you?”

“Well…” He turned back around to face her and scrubbed his cheeks. “Right after we bonded… I wanted to… do it. He pushed me away. And I’m glad he did. We were in the damn hallway. But now…”

“It’s back to normal,” Bethany said after a moment. She grabbed his phone from the bed and pulled hers out of her pocket. It didn’t surprise him that she knew his password and watched as she copied something from her phone to his. “Anders’ number.” 

He caught the phone and shoved it into his pocket without looking at it. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“Call, text whatever, just talk to him,” Bethany said seriously as she stood up. “And break it off with Laura. You clearly aren’t interested in her and it’s mean to string her along.”

Carver nodded and stepped away from the door. Instead of leaving she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back and held in a sigh. 


End file.
